This invention relates to safety of home delivery with computer-controlled access by delivery personnel to a delivery box at the home.
Delivery of items to homes by delivery personnel can subject homes to criminal activity by others, by potentially maleficent deliverers, or by theft of the delivered item when left outside the home. There has been no safe, effective and affordable means to protect a home and its occupants when the home is made accessible for home delivery of items and security from theft of the delivered item.
Examples of different but related devices for protection in relation to delivery of items have been described in the following patent documents. Japanese Patent Number 2-194289, issued to Oguma, taught a delivery box or room that was freely accessible through an outside door for placing items in the box and an inside door with a peep hole in it to detect presence of and to take in delivered items. Japanese Patent Number 4-267789, issued to Ogasawara, described a bank of delivery boxes with single doors that could be opened by a telephone-actuated key. Japanese Patent Number 6-199393, issued to Ootsuka, described a single-door box for delivery with automatic locking by insertion of delivered items. Japanese Patent Number 4-87985, issued to Hotsuta, also described a single-door delivery box but with computerized identification. Japanese Patent Number 4-102585, issued to Sugimura, described a bank of single-door consignment boxes that could be opened with coded consignee keys. U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,401, issued to Calcutt, et al., taught a revolving-door service cabinet. U.S. Pat. No. 1,738,539, issued to Moss, described a compartmental service door that was manually operated from opposite sides. U.S. Pat. No. 1,405,661, issued to Bergren, described a safety delivery door on opposite sides of a delivery room or box. U.S. Pat. No. 1,443,313, issued to DeNobili, taught a revolving door with a trap door for receiving delivered items.